The dissolution of the Eighth Parliament will take place tomorrow (2), paving the way for elections to be held in April, The Sunday Morning learnt. Government Spokesperson State Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would order the dissolution of Parliament tomorrow. “We can expect the gazette notification dissolving Parliament to be issued by Monday. It has been decided by the President,” Rambukwella said. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) Mahinda Deshapriya said that the gazette notification dissolving Parliament would also contain the date the general election would be held. “The gazette notification will have the date on which nominations would be called, the date on which the general election would be held as well as the date on which the new parliament would sit,” Deshapriya said. He said that according to election laws, the general election must be held between 55-66 days after the dissolution of Parliament. Once Parliament is dissolved, a caretaker government would come into force consisting of only the Cabinet of Ministers, the Prime Minister, and the President. President Rajapaksa is constitutionally empowered to dissolve Parliament only after four-and-a-half years of its term has concluded. Consequently, 2 March is the earliest possible date the President could dissolve Parliament. – Skandha Gunasekara